KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — A key deadline is approaching in Tennessee for people who want to vote in the November presidential election.
The voter registration deadline in Tennessee is Monday, Oct. 7. The Tennessee Secretary of State's office has information on how to register at this link. People who are already registered to vote in Tennessee can check and update their voter registration online, as well.
For people registering through the state's mail-in application, letters must be mailed and postmarked by Oct. 7. People can also register online through the Tennessee Secretary of State's website.
The Knox County Election Commission said thousands of more people are registered to vote in the county ahead of the November presidential election.
The commission said in September that around 310,000 people were registered to vote in Knox County, compared to around 303,000 registered voters in the August primary election. The commission also estimated around 315,000 people could be registered to vote in time for the November presidential election.
"I think the folks who are registering now, you're gonna see the majority of them show up and vote. We saw that four years ago. In this election, four years ago, we had 40,000 voters vote, for the first time ever," said Chris Davis, Knox County's Administrator of Elections.
He said in the 2020 presidential election, voters who registered around 90 days before the election were the most excited to vote — showing up at the polls at higher rates.
The 2024 presidential election is just weeks away. Early voting will begin in Knox County on Wednesday, Oct. 16 and run through Thursday, Oct. 31.
Election Day is on Nov. 5.